


the wishing stars

by ad_meliora101



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Best Selling Author! Katara, Complicated Relationships, F/M, Famous Actor! Zuko, Friends to Lovers, Getting Back Together, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Sex, Past and Present, Romantic Angst, what we've got here is a failure to communicate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:42:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29452491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ad_meliora101/pseuds/ad_meliora101
Summary: Katara finishes work on the follow up to her best-selling romance novel just as Zuko's divorce is finalized. These two things are not even remotely related.or: A story of two lovers finding their way back to each other.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 82





	the wishing stars

i.

The first people to visit him after the divorce is finalized are Iroh and Lu Ten. His uncle and cousin arrive at sunrise, carrying enough food and tea to feed a village. While Iroh folds his laundry and speaks of change and rebirth, Lu Ten pats him on the back and slips him a bottle of fire whiskey. They spend the next hour speaking on the couch in hushed tones as Zuko cries. 

He then gets sympathetic calls from Suki, Aang, and Ty Lee (who sobs into the phone as he whispers words of comfort to _her_ ). Sokka calls him in the afternoon, an extremely awkward and stunted experience. Sokka is his best friend but they were never all that great at talking about intense emotional issues with each other. They both preferred to take their problems to another person in their circle of friends (the person Zuko is no longer on speaking terms with). Anyway, his call with Sokka goes like this:

(I’m sorry about-

_Yeah, thanks._

Are you doing well?

 _I mean, uh, no._ )

He speaks to his parents in a three-way call, which he is not surprised by in the slightest. Ozai was never one to offer words of encouragement in emotionally trying times. As his mother provides comfort and valuable advice, his father makes soft sounds of agreement. Until right before Zuko is about to hang up and Ozai states, “The sun will rise tomorrow, it always does.”

Zuko rolls his eyes as he says a brief thanks then he turns off his phone and flops on his bed, proceeding to sleep for the next sixteen hours. 

Flipping through the channels as he drinks jasmine tea, he stumbles upon TV coverage of his divorce from Mai. The segment is a photo montage of his relationship with Mai, even sharing a childhood picture of them on the beach of Ember Island. He wonders how they even have a photo like that, but he doesn’t wonder for long. He lets out a laugh as he realizes that Ukano probably leaked it to the media, to drive up public sympathy for Mai. As if she needs it. 

The story is simple: Childhood friendship turns into teen romance which ends up in teen heartbreak. Boy moves away to another country, dates other people, and even becomes famous. Then the boy comes back home and reunites with the girl. They marry and are happy, really really happy, until they aren’t. Then after months of arguing and struggling and tension, they divorce. A tale as old as time. 

His phone continues buzzing with texts and calls from his publicist June and assistant On Ji. Zuko turns off his phone once again, deciding to visit the one person in his life who won’t make him feel like he’s made of porcelain or falling apart at the seams. 

Toph Bei Fong. 

Zuko is ushered into the Bei Fong estate and finds Toph lounging by the pool. His friend is clad in a semi-sheer emerald cover up with sunglasses so oversized they cover nearly her entire face. 

She sits up with a smile and takes off her sunglasses. “Hey loser, long time no see.”

He smirks, “You've never seen me.”

“Exactly.”

Zuko rolls up his pants and lowers his feet into the pool, kicking softly as he and Toph drink plum wine, the pair talking about everything and nothing. 

Toph pushes her long bangs out of her eyes and whispers, “Do you miss her?”

Taking another sip of his wine, he considers her question. He looks her straight in the eyes and answers honestly. “Yes.”

Toph shakes her head and sighs, “You don't even know who I was asking about.”

There are only two people Toph could have been asking about. The only two women he has ever truly loved. 

He leans on his palms, “Either way, the answer is yes.”

ii.

Katara is at Sokka and Suki's place, building a block tower with her two-year old niece Kyoshi as they wait for Toph and Aang to arrive with takeout. 

Aang rushes into the apartment, breathless as Toph follows in behind him. Aang drops the food on the table and walks over to the couch. “Ty Lee just texted me. Zuko and Mai are getting divorced.” 

Katara blinks several times as her hand jerks, knocking over the block tower and causing Kyoshi to cry. 

They eat their food in quiet silence, no one really having much to say. 

Three months from the moment in Sokka and Suki's place, Katara sits in a crowded café, waiting for Yue to join her. She passes the time by texting back and forth with the marketing team for her book. 

Yue startles Katara with how quickly she rushes into the seat across from her. With shining eyes and a mischievous grin, she asks, “So, now that Zuko and Mai’s divorce is finalized, are you going to stop dating _Zuko-lite_ men?” 

Katara nearly drops her phone in shock. “I haven’t been dating Zuko-lite men!” 

Yue looks at Katara through narrowed eyes. “Jet is the closest thing you could get to Zuko without actually dating Zuko.” 

Katara flushes, embarrassed at being called out by Yue. Her friends would often tease her for having a type but she hoped they did not notice the many similarities between the two men. She liked Jet, she truly did but she was searching for Zuko in him. 

With a soft laugh, Yue says, “See! You didn't even deny it. I say you should reach out to Zuko...as a friend of course.” 

Katara covers her face in her hands, “Yue, enough! He just got divorced and we haven't really spoken in years.” 

Yue sips her latte and replies, “Fine but let me know if you change your mind.” 

Katara goes home that night and wraps herself in blankets on her couch. She scrolls through her phone, clicking various articles about Zuko and Mai. Her heart clenches as she sees photos of them happy together. She zooms in on the photos-on his eyes, mouth, and skin- remembering what it felt like to touch and taste him. How much she loved him, how she never stopped loving him. 

She calls Jet and breaks up with him. 

(There is nothing wrong with Jet. Nothing that he can change. He is fun to be around, gets along with her friends, and does activities with her even if they are things he does not enjoy. They are able to be honest with each other and share things. The only thing wrong with Jet is that he isn't Zuko.)

Katara berates herself for being irrational, for potentially ruining a great thing but her heart feels at peace. Their relationship wasn't fair to Jet. He'll be upset with her but he'll move on to someone who likes him for him. 

The next morning, she goes over to Yue's apartment to craft a simple text message to Zuko. One that is brief and cordial, sending her condolences for his divorce while leaving room for him to decide what he wants to do next. 

He texts her back five hours later, asking if she wants to meet tomorrow night around 7 at an Earth Kingdom-Fire Nation fusion restaurant they would often eat at when they were together. 

Katara lets out a soft laugh as she reads the message and replies yes. 

Yue immediately starts suggesting different outfits Katara could wear to the _date_. 

Katara looks at her friend with hard eyes. “This is not a date, Yue!” 

Yue rolls her eyes, “Fine, Katara. Let's pick out an outfit for your _not-date_.” 

iii. 

their relationship, her side: 

Katara's secret hobby is people-watching and her job at the advising office provides her ample opportunity to observe the student body of Republic City University. She is standing behind the desk, scanning documents when a man walks in, a really _really_ attractive man. 

He pushes his black hair out his face as he approaches the desk and she stammers. From his accent, he probably did not grow up in Republic City; he is very clearly Fire Nation with a sharp and clipped mainland Fire Nation accent. As he waits for his advising appointment, he takes out his laptop. He seems to be deeply focused as he bites his lip and types. She finds his expressiveness and mannerisms adorable. Suddenly, he looks over at her with bright eyes and she prays that he hadn't noticed she has been staring at him. 

He rubs the back of his neck as he speaks. “Hi, uh, do either of you know anything about the literature professors here? I have to take a lit class this semester.” 

Before Katara can even open her mouth, Yue blurts out, “My friend,” as she reaches over, placing a hand on Katara's shoulder. “Katara knows all about the literature professors here. She's a comparative lit major.” 

He lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank the spirits of the islands! I, uh, just transferred here and it would be a great help if you could let me know which professors people like and which ones to avoid.” 

Yue and Fire Nation guy both look over at her. “That depends on what topics you are interested in. For example, the professor for my comparative mythology class is pretty great. I took a class with her last semester. This course is supposed to be pretty interesting since we will be studying myths from across the four nations and learning how those myths impacted cultural development.” 

“That sounds really interesting! Who is teaching that?” 

“Professor Wu.” 

She watches him resume clicking on his laptop. “Uh, I just signed up for that class. Thanks for your help.” He walks over to the desk and offers her his hand, “My name is Zuko.” 

Katara reaches over and shakes it, a slight warmth passing through her. She is about to say something when his advisor calls him back to his office and he gives her a small smile as he turns away.

Once he has left, a slow smile forms on Yue's face as Katara scowls. “Thanks, Yue. Now he probably thinks I'm weird.” 

Yue begins to organize some files and softly says, “Well, at least you have all semester to change his opinion of you.” 

She and Zuko sit next to each other in class, often pairing off for assignments and projects. Before class, they would prepare for presentations in the small café on campus, one that she knew her friends never entered. It wasn't that she was hiding her friendship with Zuko, she just didn't want to deal with Sokka's detective routine and Toph's teasing, at least not yet. 

One day, Zuko looks over her shoulder and narrows his eyes. “Those two guys are staring at you, do you know them?” 

Katara slowly twists her head to look over her shoulder at Sokka and Aang waving. _Oh no!_ she thinks as she begins to fidget with her pen. They watch from the other side of the glass as Sokka and Aang motion for Toph to come into the café with them. 

Katara begins to introduce Toph, Sokka, and Aang to Zuko when she finds out that Zuko already knows Toph. Not only does he already know her, they are _cousins_. 

Toph and Zuko correct her, explaining that they are not blood relatives but god-cousins because Zuko's uncle is Toph's godfather. 

From that day on Zuko is a part of their group. They hang out on the lakeside patio, eat meals together in the cafeteria, and study together in the library. 

They all even start hanging out at Zuko's massive apartment with a view of the Republic City skyline. 

Toph sits with her feet flopped on the couch as she eats fire flakes. “Zuko, how are you living here? I thought that your dad-” 

Zuko quickly interrupts her, his face flushing slightly. “Grandmother Rina is letting me stay here.” Toph purses her lips and nods, completely satisfied by Zuko's explanation while the others look at each other in confusion. Zuko never really talks about his family in the Fire Nation or why he transferred from the University of Caldera. Toph knows the entire story but she is not willing to share it with the rest of them, it isn't her place. Katara does not mind, she knows that eventually Zuko will feel comfortable enough to share his life with them. 

As the months pass, Katara finds her feelings for Zuko growing in intensity as they spend more time together.

One afternoon, he invites her to join him at the beach, they often spend time together alone so Katara wasn't sure of what to expect. She knew what she hoped would happen but she had no idea if Zuko feels the same and is too afraid of being rejected to ask. 

They walk along the shore, talking and laughing and at sunset, he leans down and kisses her. 

When they pull apart and her eyes flutter open, Katara whispers, “I still wasn’t completely sure you liked me. Sometimes, I even thought you found me annoying.” 

“When did I say that?” Zuko laughs as he kisses along her jaw. 

“I just...the way you act around me, at times.” Katara pouts. Although they are close friends, they can get into intense arguments. Sometimes even over the most pointless things, both too stubborn to back down. 

He nuzzles her cheek before kissing away her pout. “How could you ever annoy me? You are like the best person I know! You are smart, competitive, beautiful, and kind. I enjoy spending time with you.” 

A wide grin appears on her face. “Good because I thought you didn’t share my feelings.” 

He presses a kiss to her cheek. “No, I feel the same.” 

When they announce that they are dating, they are confused and embarrassed as Sokka and Aang pay Toph.

“What is going on?” Zuko asks, visibly annoyed. 

Toph counts the money and places it in her wallet. “Twinkletoes thought you two would have started dating last semester, Snoozles said never while I said this semester. Suki thought it was a strange bet to participate in.”

One day, she finds Zuko beaming in front of her dorm. She lets out a yelp when he picks her up, spinning her in the air before setting her down and pressing kisses all over her face. 

His eyes are sparkling and his smile is the brightest she has ever seen as he tells her he got a role in a hit TV show. It is a small role, a falsely accused defendant in a courtroom drama but they celebrate all the same. 

They spend the rest of the day and half of the next in her bed, kissing and touching each other. Katara wakes to find him still asleep, his handsome face relaxed of all tension. She lays there against him, pressed against his bare chest as she listens to his heartbeat. She realizes that she loves him and it feels that all she needs in this life is him at her side. She holds her breath as he opens his eyes, those beautiful orbs of sunlight gazing at her and when they kiss, it is as if the entire world is beginning again. 

There is so much Katara wishes to tell him, about how he makes her feel, and want, and dream but she does not tell him. She lets their relationship continue on, the both of them happy and satisfied with each other. Katara ignores her father and grandfather as they ask her why Zuko only speaks briefly about his family in the Fire Nation. Katara sighs and reminds them that not all families are close like their family is. Zuko has shared with her things about his family life and she understands his reluctance to talk about it.

He never got along with his father or sister. His father was extremely busy with the family company and when he was around, he was emotionally distant. He would withhold affection from Zuko, treating him coldly whenever he did not live up to his standards. Zuko and Azula did all the same sports and activities growing up, which led to most things feeling like it was a competition. Zuko constantly declines calls from his sister and his father and when he speaks to his mother, he goes out onto his balcony, communicating in hushed tones.

His uncle and cousin are his only two relatives outside of the Fire Nation and he is very close to them. They own a tea shop and the gang often hangs out there, enjoying walnut biscuits and tea as they are told embarrassing stories about Zuko's childhood. Katara loves him, deeply, and she knows that her love doesn't give her a right to his pain. He will share things with her when he feels ready to. 

They only break up twice. The first time was for three weeks. It was a huge argument, they both yelled and cried in his apartment. Katara hated herself because she had watched a documentary about his grandfather's accidental death and the controversy involving his will and estate, a documentary that blamed his mother for the death when Katara could have just asked him about the situation. The second time was mutual because they both went to study abroad in different cities: her in Agna Qel’a for a semester studying Water Tribe folklore while he went to Ba Sing Se to study theater.

She knew he had been drifting away from her for a while now, after his graduation, he was busy, stressed and excited at landing quality roles on TV. But she felt that as long as she was there, physically and emotionally present for him, things would return back to the way they were before. It was stupid, stupid to not have a real conversation with him about it but Katara had no idea what to say or do. When Suki or Yue tried to ask about it, she would brush them off, assuring them that everything was okay even though it wasn't. Spirits, it wasn't. 

One morning, he calls her to meet him at his apartment and when Katara enters she finds all his furniture gone and several packed suitcases by the door. He gives her a cup of tea and tells her that he is moving back to Caldera, that he's going to try to improve his relationship with his sister and father, that his mother is going to connect him to an agent friend of hers so he can branch off into film. 

She is shaking as he reaches over to cup her cheek, whispering that he cares for her deeply before asking if she would want to try a long-distance relationship. Katara pulls away from him and they begin arguing then they break up. When she leaves his apartment, she drives across the city to her parents' house, so upset that she misses the next two days of classes. Zuko calls her, five days in a row before she texts him to never call her again and blocks his number.

It is an awkward time for all their friends. She and Zuko make it clear to everyone that they don't want any of them to feel as if they need to pick a side. So they continue on as best they can. She doesn't mind that they all still talk to Zuko, Toph and Aang even go to the Fire Nation to visit him. She tries and fails at forgetting him. She dates other men but it never feels right, but she continues, hoping and trying to meet someone that will make Zuko become a distant memory. Yet he remains, ever present in her mind. She sees him on TV, in commercials, on billboards, and in movie trailers. He is everywhere and in everything. She still dreams of him, of his scent, his eyes, his warm body, and his laugh.

He is driving her out of her mind, she can't continue on this way. So Katara does the only thing she can think of to try to get him out of her head, to shake off the ghost of their relationship.

She begins to write a book. 

It is cathartic, reliving the key moments of their relationship. She cries and laughs, but ultimately, she begins to let go. Katara feels lighter than she has felt in a good while as she progresses in the project.

She is about halfway through with the book when she gets a call from Aang. 

(Hi, Katara! Zuko is going to be in Republic City to promote his new movie. He wants us all to meet at the Jasmine Dragon for lunch next week.

_That's great. I'm happy to hear that he is doing well._

Katara, he wants you to come.

_Really?_

Yes, really.)

After nearly two years away, Zuko returns to Republic City. When he arrives at the Jasmine Dragon, everyone else crowds around him, peppering him with questions about Caldera and his new movie. No one else noticed the beautiful willowy young woman who entered the restaurant a couple steps behind him but Katara does. She approaches and slides her hand into Zuko's and he introduces them all to _Mai_. Mai clearly knew Toph, Iroh, and Lu Ten so Katara assumes that Mai is a childhood friend of Zuko's, a childhood friend that became much more.

After introductions are made, Suki lets out a gasp and Zuko's smile brightens as he confirms he and Mai have just recently gotten engaged. They sit around a small table as Zuko and Mai share tales of his time on set in the Si Wong desert but Katara could focus on little else but the large ruby and diamond engagement ring on Mai's delicate hand.

After rounds and rounds of tea and dumplings, Zuko's eyes are soft and kind of sad as he approaches her, his hand reaching out to brush her arm. With a tight-lipped smile, Katara congratulates him on his engagement, and pretends to have some sort of work emergency so she can leave before she embarrasses herself. 

She cries as she drives home and wonders how she ever convinced herself that she was over him. That she could ever be over him. 

Her book is finished by the end of the next month and she eats an entire tub of mango ice cream to celebrate. 

The next day she texts Aang for Zuko's address on Ember Island so she can send him a copy.

iv.

Zuko fiddles with his signet ring as he waits for Katara to enter the restaurant. His eyes are fixed on the door when he watches a brunette woman enter wearing a purple wrap dress with her hair loose around her. Katara, he recognizes her immediately, he isn't sure why he expected her to look different but she doesn't, she just looks slightly older. He rises from his seat so she notices him and her eyes widen slightly as their eyes meet. 

They share an awkward and brief hug. _Her scent...she still smells of lavender and the sea_ , he thinks as they sit across from each other. 

He watches her fiddle slightly with her hair before she looks at him with clear eyes. “I'm very sorry about the divorce.” 

Zuko nods, still unsure of how to respond to comments like that. 

They both order beef brisket noodles and make quiet small talk. “I heard you have another movie coming out soon.” 

Zuko sips his cherry wine and states, “Yes, it is in post-production right now. We filmed in Omashu, I flew back here three weeks ago from reshoots. Those are always a pain.” 

Katara nods and continues to eat her meal and Zuko bites his lip, unsure of what to say next. “I heard that you have a new book coming out.” 

That causes a soft smile to appear on Katara's face. “Yes, you would probably like this one better. It is a story of a family, of four generations of women dealing with hardships and the lessons they pass on to each other.” 

He takes another sip of his wine before he says, “That sounds beautiful.” A stiffness comes over his body as he whispers, “I'm sorry about the way I reacted to your first book.” 

There is a pause as Katara considers what to say. “Your reaction...you were allowed to feel that way. I'm sorry that I hurt you. I didn't even ask for your blessing, I just sent you an advance copy of the book.” 

Zuko bites his lip. “I could have chosen a better way to let my anger out.” 

With a rueful smile, Katara laments, “It's fine, Zuko. We all make mistakes.” 

He looks away from her, it is too much to take in the varied emotions etched onto her face. “Yeah, I guess we all do.” 

v.

How it all fell apart: 

Zuko and Mai were on Ember Island relaxing with Ty Lee and Azula. He relished the privacy of the island. No paparazzi, no media interviews, and no phone calls from his publicist. Just the sun on his back and the sand between his toes and three of the people he cherishes most in the world. He takes a quick shower after his morning jog and walks downstairs to the kitchen, grabbing a pineapple bun for breakfast. On the table is a small package addressed to him. He opens it to find a book written by Katara: _The Wishing Stars_. The cover is a silhouette of a young man and woman sitting under a starry sky. A small note is attached to the cover, written in Katara's neat calligraphy asking him to call her once he's finished reading it.

So he reads it: the story of the hopeful middle-class girl and the brooding rich boy. Their mutual hatred of a certain fruit. The time she broke her wrist playing water polo and he took notes for her in their class. The boy’s somewhat troubled family life. How he was taught by his emotionally distant _mother_ to deal with issues with a stiff-upper lip, to strive for excellence, and to never show weakness. His closeness with his artistic and affectionate _father_ and rivalry with his overachieving and combative younger _brother_. How they often did their homework in the _coffee_ shop the boy worked in occasionally to help out the owner, his older _female_ relative. The way their first kiss happened on the beach at _sunrise_. How their friend group betted on when they would start dating. The time her roommate caught them having sex. The scarf she knitted him for one of their anniversaries. The pearl comb he bought her for her birthday. The engraved watch she spent months saving to get him for his graduation. It was them, but it also wasn't. 

Zuko doesn't know what she wants from him, what she expects him to do with this information. 

(Was he supposed to take the book as some romantic confession, a pledge to continue loving him? Some plea for him to cancel his wedding? Did she send it to him to close the chapter on their relationship, to free herself of him? Did she still even want to be friends?) 

Then he gets to the end, where the boy is about to go home to try to repair things with his _mother_ and the girl shows up at the airport and asks him to stay, saying that she loves him and needs him. He kisses her but he doesn't stay so she stands in the airport watching his plane fly up into the sky. And it’s too much, it’s too close to reality yet not close enough. In frustration, he throws the book across the room then calls her on the phone. 

Before she even has the chance to speak, he goes off on a tirade. He tells her a great many things, some he truly means but many that he doesn't. At the end of the long, angry, and sad call they are both crying. Softly, Katara says that she thinks it is best that she doesn't attend the wedding and he agrees, even telling her to delete his number. After he says that, she clears her throat and speaks in a neutral tone. She thanks him for reaching out to let her know his thoughts, like he was a freaking critic and not the man she shared an intense romance with for years. 

At his wedding, he beams and wipes a tear as Mai walks down the aisle in her stunning gown at his family mansion in Caldera. Despite his issues with Katara, Sokka serves as his best man. He dances with Suki, Toph, Azula, Kiyi, and Ty Lee. Aang, drunk off of plum wine, pulls him aside and goes on a long speech about how love is the truest form of freedom. His mother and sister are affectionate throughout the night, laughing and joking with Lu Ten. His father and uncle share sake and reminisce about their wedding days. And Zuko doesn't think of Katara, not even once. 

vi. 

Over the next couple weeks, Zuko and Katara begin spending a significant amount of time together, rebuilding their friendship. It starts to feel like the old days, their conversations flow just as easily as they once did. 

They go to museum exhibits and take walks throughout the city. They sit in parks eating cotton candy or fire flakes while they make up stories about the people that walk past them.

She enjoys the little things, watching his movements and expressions. Katara resists the urge to reach over and hold his hand or kiss his cheek. 

Aang shouts and cheers when they show up with the rest of the gang to a traditional air nomad festival. Afterwards, they all go out for ice cream and Zuko and Katara sit squished together in the booth as Suki and Toph whisper in glee. 

One night, she invites Zuko over to her apartment for dinner. She makes five-flavor soup, ensuring that it is spicier than normal to try to meet his tastes. 

After dinner, they sit and play a game of pai sho. 

Out of nowhere, Zuko declares, “I married Mai because I loved her.” 

“What?” Katara exclaims. 

She watches as Zuko lets out a sharp breath. “I never got to explain the situation to you. I knew Mai from childhood, I dated her in high school and we reconnected when I moved back home. She's a really great person, I actually think the two of you could have been friends if circumstances were different. I just-” 

Katara bites her bottom lip as tears threaten to form. Her voice breaks slightly when she asks, “Why are you telling me this, Zuko?” 

He grabs at the roots of his hair before pushing his dark hair back. “I know you all thought that I was trying to move on from you and I was getting married to do that. That wasn't it at all. She just made me happy. I know Sokka and Suki didn't really get along with her and found her standoffish but she just has a hard shell. She doesn't care about making people like her, either you do or you don't. I loved her.” 

“Why did you two divorce? Since you are in such a sharing mood tonight.” 

Zuko lets out an awkward laugh. “It was getting harder and harder to remember why we married. We still cared for each other but we stopped being happy together. I think after we both have some space we could be friends again. It had nothing to do with you, at all.” 

Katara rubs at her temple. In a hard voice, she says, “Well, thank you Zuko for enlightening me. I never thought it had to do with me but thank you for letting me know that you thought I thought that. I thought that after everything we'd shared that you'd know me but you clearly don't.” 

Zuko's jaw clenches, “Why are we even doing this? Because if you don't even want us to be honest with each other then what is the point?” 

Her face pinches in anger as she looks at Zuko. “What do you think we doing? Aren't we two old friends catching up? Because that's what I thought but if we aren't-” 

Zuko shakes his head and sighs, “Friends, Katara? We are more than friends! Last time I checked friends don't write books about their friends like the book you wrote about me.” 

A flush begins to form on Katara's face, “I should have known this was about the book! You are still angry, aren't you? Of course.” 

Zuko pinches the bridge of his nose. “Why are you acting like all of this is my fault?” 

For some reason, that causes Katara to explode and she stands up, knocking over the pai sho board. “This all started when you told me you were moving back to Caldera! You might as well have said: _Katara, thanks for our relationship. You know, all the support, the good times, and the sex but I’m moving back home because my dad finally decided that he wants me around! Make sure you remember my face because the next time you do see me, it'll be almost two years later and I’ll have a fiancée!_ What was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to compete with you getting the one thing you always wanted, your father’s respect?” 

Zuko nearly hisses at her, “Maybe you should have done what you wrote in your book? Followed me to the airport and told me that you loved me and needed me! That probably would have worked! Wasn’t that what the ending of your book was, a description of what you wished you did?” 

“Stop, Zuko! Enough!” Katara exclaims as she slumps on the floor. 

Zuko gets up and looks down at her, his eyes misted with tears. “This is way past enough, Katara. Enough for me was when you sent me that book, detailing private moments of our life together, of my life. You talked about my family in it! Do you know how that made me feel?” 

Katara is silent as guilt flashes across her face. 

With a scowl, Zuko exclaims, “What? You have nothing to say now? You ran out of words?” 

Katara lets out a soft and slow breath. Shakily she says, “No, I think I have a few more. All I wanted was for you to be happy, for us to be happy together. I wanted to be with you, only you, a man who never even told me that he loved me.” 

“Katara, I-”

She snaps at him as tears fall down her cheeks. “Leave, Zuko. Just leave and while you are at it, don't bother inviting me to your next wedding!”

“Spirits,” he exclaims with a grim smile. “I don't even know why I came here. And for the record, you never said those words to me either but I still knew you felt the same as I did. Or at least I thought you did.” Zuko whispers as he leaves. 

vii.

their relationship, his side:

They never say _I love you_ , at least not in those words. They probably ran through all the variations: 

(I’m crazy about you; I really care about you; I’d do anything to make you smile; I want you with me always; You mean so much to me; You make everything feel possible, etc.) 

It is his fault that they don't say those three special words to each other. He had explained to her that he didn't grow up saying those words often in his family, they just knew in their hearts that they loved each other. His mother demonstrated her love through hugs, kisses, warm touches, and spending time with him. They were Fire Nation, before the reform his family would have been considered nobles, after it they were just emotionally-stunted and restrained elites. But he should have forced himself to say it because he really did love her. Spirits, how he loved her. 

That wasn't their only problem. He is stubborn, they both are, and he is often brooding about one thing or another. He is secretive about his family, not wanting her to look at him differently for learning about their unique set of issues. He shares with her few details about his childhood.

A childhood he spent doing anything and everything to try to please his father, to fit his idea of a good son. He took business and finance classes, studying things that he hated in order to prove to his father that he could take over the family business. His mother encouraged him to find something for himself, so he found the stage.

He would balance his business activities with his commitment to the acting club. He lived between two worlds for more than a year until one day, he woke up in a fury and applied to Republic City University's prestigious acting program. He sent them his audition, one that Ty Lee helped him practice and Mai filmed. When he was accepted, he boarded a flight to Republic City, only telling his mother, her family, Mai, and Ty Lee. 

Azula and his father were furious, Ozai even cut him off as if that would truly impact him. One of the many benefits of being a descendant of two wealthy and prominent families is that there will always be at least one relative who likes you enough to support your interests and activities. So his education was funded by his Grandmother Rina.

On his first day on campus, he met Katara-the most beautiful person he had ever seen. And somehow she liked him, awkward, strange, and intense as he was. Katara wanted to spend time with him, getting to know him and laughing at his awkward attempts at humor. It just stopped being Zuko or Katara and became _Zuko and Katara_ , where one of them was, the other was bound to be in the near vicinity. She came to all his plays and helped read lines with him, he went to all her water polo games and read over her projects for comparative literature, helping her as she worked to learn the old Fire Nation language for her upper-level courses. 

_-How do you know all this, Zuko?_

_-It's a long story._ (He felt too embarrassed to tell her that his grandparents, out of sheer snobbery, solely communicated in the old language. Even though they, along with everyone else in the Fire Nation, fluently spoke the common tongue.) 

Katara is good, in a way that few people in this world are good. She truly cares about the wellbeing of others, willing to give the shirt off her back to a stranger. Someone like her deserves much better than anything he could ever give her. So when he started getting acting jobs and travelling more for roles, a part of him, a sad, pathetic part of him hopes that _she_ would break up with _him._ That she would see that even if she wanted him, she didn't need him. That she could live a perfectly good life without him in it. 

But she stays, happily supporting him as he supported her. Every day he wakes up in awe that she loves him just as much as he loves her. Even though he has no idea what he is doing, she is happy with him. 

Until the day he gets the call. His father, as apologetic as he has ever heard him calls and speaks to Zuko for over an hour. Zuko argues back and forth about everything and when his father asks him to come home, Zuko immediately says no. Azula calls the next day and they speak for over two hours, about everything from their childhood to how it made her feel for him to move away to the changes in their father since their younger sister Kiyi was born. 

He sits in his room; he cries for a bit then makes a decision. 

Maybe it wasn't the right decision but it was a decision, one that he felt that he had to do. He calls his agent in Republic City and dropped them as he packs up his entire apartment. 

He speaks to his uncle and Lu Ten over tea about their family, the past, and the future that he could help to build. The scars would never go away but maybe the wounds can stop hurting. 

He calls Katara over and their relationship ends. He can't blame her for not wanting to be in a long-distance romance, not when he has no idea if and when he would ever return to Republic City and especially not when he decided he was leaving before he ever told her about it. 

_(She deserves better than me, it'll hurt but she'll get over me. She will. I'm not good enough, not for someone like her.)_

At the airport, he fights the urge to constantly look back, checking if she chased him there to try to stop him. 

(Stuff like that doesn't happen in real life. Not to people like him.) 

He goes home to Caldera, it is awkward at first, very awkward. He doesn't know where he fits into a family with a crying infant. He watches his mother and father coo over her and fights the jealousy that slowly builds from the realization that she will have a much happier childhood than he did. 

Slowly, he gets to know the _New Azula_ and the _New Ozai,_ they are still curt and superior but it has been withered down in some ways, to a level that he can tolerate (somewhat tolerate).

Zuko reconnects with Mai, finding love with her. But _Zuko and Mai_ was not the same as _Zuko and Katara_. He is a different person-more Caldera, more curt, more snobby, and more of a celebrity. They get married and his career skyrockets as Mai, June, and On Ji help him manage his public image and brand endorsements. Life is great as he and Mai travel the world together. The only odd thing is that no matter where he travels, he cannot seem to get away from Katara's book. It is everywhere. In the streets, on billboards, on the internet, there is even talk of a movie adaptation. 

They are in Ba Sing Se promoting a brand of fire whiskey when Mai pulls him aside. 

“Is this book really bothering you?”

“Did you read it?”

“I did, I thought it was kind of cute in a sentimental cliché sort of way.”

“I'm glad that you enjoyed it.”

“If you hate it so much, why don't you sue her? But then that would reveal that the book is about you.”

“I just want to forget about it.”

“Then forget about it.”

As time goes on, their marriage begins to feel more like a business partnership. They begin to be happier apart than when they are together. So they untether, leaving each of them free to pursue their own journey, their own life. 

From time to time, he does think about the book and about Katara. Occasionally, he has conversations with her in his head, wondering how she would react to certain events in his life or what kind of advice she would give him. He misses her-her mind, her smile, her laugh, her friendship, and her love. 

viii. 

Katara lays on his stomach, trying to clear her mind as she listens to the ambient spa music.

She lets out a sigh in pleasure as the massage therapist gets at the knot in her neck.

Suddenly, Toph asks, “When are you going to let Zuko know that you still want to have his black-haired babies?”

Katara lets out a gasp and she turns her head to face Toph. She knows Toph is blind but after all these years, she still attempts to make eye-contact with her when they speak. “I think it's over, completely over. We had another argument.”

Toph huffs, “You and Zuko will never be over, not completely. It's impossible. You and Zuko are the sun and moon, day and night. The two of you just exist, together. It's weird when you two are apart. It feels like something is off, the world is a little off balance, I don't know. You two just make sense.”

A slow smile appears on Katara's face as she thinks back to their happy moments and even their sad ones. She just felt better with Zuko around. Everything made more sense, it was like the sun was a little brighter and the sky was a little bluer. “I still love him, I don't think I can stop loving him. I just, where did we go wrong?”

A large crack in heard as the massage therapist releases some pressure in Toph's back. “Spirits, I've been waiting years for you or Zuko to ask me that.”

“Waiting?”

“I thought it would be fun to let you two figure out yourselves but it wasn't. It was just awkward and sad. Especially when you just mailed him the book you wrote about him, what did you think was going to happen? Of course he never spoke to you after that!”

Katara narrows her eyes at Toph. “Are you going to answer my question or not?”

A smirk appears on Toph's face, “Fine, Sweetness so I'll let you know what happened. You and Zuko were both young, dumb, and in love. It's bad enough to be young and dumb but you two were also in love. So as the problems grew you both got scared, waiting for the other person to figure out what to do. So the relationship just kept getting worse in small ways as time went on. Then you add in Sparky's insecurities from his family life and not feeling like he had any real value. Which is why he is such a great actor because he feeds off of the audience's acclaim, since he never really got much of that growing up. Anyway, you two should have just talked to each other, sharing your fears and worries, instead of you not making a decision until Zuko confronted you with a decision he already made to go back home. And since he left you with no option, you two broke up.”

Katara takes in Toph's words but voices her one hesitance. “What about Mai? Is he over her?”

Toph bites her lip. “He loved her but they just didn't work, he knows that. And he didn't love her like he loves you which is why he was able to let the relationship go so easily. They were married for almost three years and half of that they were fighting and living separately.”

“So I should just talk to him and be honest in a way I never was before?” Katara asks. 

Toph lets out a soft laugh, “Why are you acting like you didn't write what you should do in your own book?”

“It didn't work out in the book.”

“Well, that was fiction, honey. This is the real life and it'll work, trust me.”

ix.

In the hills above Republic City, Zuko and Aang jog with Aang's dog Appa. 

They stop at the top of the hill to take a water break. Zuko pants as he wipes sweat off of his brow and pauses as he feels his phone ringing. He has been expecting a call from his agent in regards to a role he had been invited to audition for, an action movie shooting in the North Pole but when he looks at the caller ID it's Azula. 

When he picks up the phone, he furrows his brow and his heartbeat increases slightly because the voice at the other end is _Mai_. 

Slowly, he begins, “Hi, uh, Mai.” He fidgets with his other hand as he asks, “Why are you calling me using Azula's phone?” 

Mai stammers, “I didn't think you'd pick up if it was my number. I just wanted to say, happy birthday, I hope that all your wishes come true. Uh, you are still my friend.”

“You are still my friend.” Zuko replies softly. 

It is still awkward but it's them and it’s real so he knows they'll both be happy in their separate lives. 

Later, he and Aang drink jasmine tea, speaking quietly in a corner table of the Jasmine Dragon. 

Aang smiles at him brightly. “Are you excited for your birthday party tonight?”

Zuko lips curve up slightly, “Yeah, I think it'll be a great time.”

Aang takes a bite out of his walnut cookie. “I know! It'll be our first party with the whole gang together!”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Zuko murmurs, “I'm not so sure about that. Katara and I had another fight.”

“Oh! Does she think it's too soon for you two to get back together?” Aang asks with a slight frown. 

“Wait! Why do you think we were fighting about that?” Zuko questions. 

Aang pinches his brow slightly as if Zuko just asked him a very obvious question and maybe he just did. “Because you two are in love.”

“I, uh, Katara still loves me?” Zuko whispers in slight disbelief. 

“Um...yeah. She looks at you like you hung the moon.” 

“Oh,” Zuko exclaims. 

“Yeah,” Aang says as he rubs his neck. 

x.

The party is in Zuko's penthouse, the only people invited are Iroh, Lu Ten, Sokka, Suki, Toph, Aang, Katara, and Yue. After years of lavish parties on yachts and private villas, Zuko wanted something different. 

Katara's body is humming with energy as she knocks on Zuko's door. He opens it, looking handsome in a simple black button down, but she thinks he would look good in a potato sack. His smile is soft and shy as if he didn't expect her to show up. 

He ushers her into his home and she whispers in his ear, asking to speak to him alone. Something flickers in his eyes and he takes her past everyone, out onto the balcony. 

She opens her purse and hands him a signed copy of _The Wishing Stars,_ he reads the note she wrote and follows her instructions turning to the last page of the novel. 

His golden eyes are soft in the moonlight as he whispers, “Why did you bring this as my gift?” 

A soft blush appears on her cheeks, “There's something I have to say. Something I should have told you a long time ago.”

She begins to recite a passage from the book, the words the girl says to the boy just before he leaves for his flight home. “You are everything to me. I love you very much and I believe I will always love you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the first moment I realized it. I'm sorry that it took me until now to see the power in those three short words. So I'll tell you them every day for the rest of our lives if you wish for me to. I'll say it as your eyes flutter open in the morning and as you drift off to sleep in the night. I love you. I love-”

He pulls her against him and she gasps when he presses his lips to hers. His kiss is just as intense as it once was and she gets lost in him. They kiss each other breathless and when they separate, she presses a kiss to his neck. 

His voice is a low rumble, warm and raspy. “I love you, Katara. I want us to be together as long as you want to be with me.”

She blinks back happy tears, “Well, I want to be with you for the rest of our lives. Is that okay?”

Zuko smiles at her and she feels like she is walking on air. “That's more than okay. It's perfect,” he whispers as he pulls her in for another kiss. 

xi. 

Their wedding takes place two years later on Ember Island, with their first kiss as a married couple taking place at sunset on the beach. It is a small wedding, with just their closest friends and family; they dance the night away under a starry sky. 

Shortly afterwards, they move to a house in the hills above Republic City, taking up pottery and painting. 

They end up having two curly black-haired children: a blue-eyed boy named Iroh and a golden-eyed girl named Izumi. All their family and friends spoil the two boisterous children with Toph even gifting them a large polar-bear dog (to both Zuko and Katara's dismay). 

Zuko decides to branch out into directing as Katara works on a third book about the historical legend of the Avatar. 

After Katara's book is published to great acclaim, they decide to work on the project jointly with Zuko directing the screenplay adapted from it. 

During the press junket for the film, an interviewer begins by asking them if _The Wishing Stars_ was inspired by any aspect of their relationship. Zuko smirks as Katara gives the interviewer a secret smile, maintaining that the book is a work of pure fiction. 

**Author's Note:**

> Me: has two WIPs and a series to work on.  
> Also me: Why don't I write this modern AU in two days.  
> The title is based on the poem The Wishing Star by Lang Leav and the plot is based by that arc in Gossip Girl where Dan writes that book about his friends and they all get mad at him.


End file.
